The Boy Who Broke Her Heart
by RicardianScholar Clark-Weasley
Summary: After the events of Weredad, Tom apologises to Chat Noir about his behaviour and Adrien gets a wake up call about how his actions are perceived by outsiders.


The last twenty four hours had been a whirlwind of emotions for Adrien.

First had been the usual adrenalin high of battling an Akuma, that flutter of excitement and delight to interact with his Lady once more, and the flying feeling of leaping from building to building throughout the city with the wind messing his hair thoroughly.

This all changed in an instant as fear flooded his entire being and gripped hold of him tightly when the giant baby (no, he wasn't _kidding_) destroyed the Dupain-Cheng bakery. More specifically the Akuma had destroyed _Marinette's bedroom_ had had left such a wreckage that no one could survive unharmed.

_Not Marinette, Not Marinette, Not Marinette, Not Marinette,_ he had chanted frantically within his mind as he focused on defeating the Akuma. _Please God not Marinette, __**anyone**__ but Marinette, please let her be at Alya's safe and sound, please, please, please..._

Ladybug performed her Miraculous Ladybug in no time but he held his breath until he could see Marinette with his own eyes. The relieve of seeing her safe and sound was almost as overwhelming as the fear of her getting hurt. He almost hugged her when suspicion twinged in the back of his mind and he tried to grab hold on what was it about Marinette being on her balcony bothered him so much.

He almost suggested she was _his_ fan.

He had so desperately wanted her to like _him_ in one form or another but months upon months of her avoiding Adrien Agreste made him hesitate and suddenly found his arms full of her as she loudly declared her love for him.

His stomach dropped like a stone at that.

His mind went blank and he felt completely numb from shock that he hadn't registered Mr Dupain's cheerful congratulations and invite for brunch until it was all too late and he had already agreed to it.

And then the guilt set in as he worried and paced and ranted about how he couldn't return Marinette's feelings, how he didn't want to hurt her, how he loved Ladybug too much, and...and...and...

Plagg, as always, was useless as ever and Adrien only just grasped hold of enough resolve to go back to Marinette's to let her down gently. He took a rose as a gesture of friendship and it hastily went downhill from there.

It crushed him that he hurt Marinette so badly that she fled the room sobbing her heart out and it shamed and irritated him simultaneously that Mr Dupain was Akumatised on her behalf and proceeded to lock her up in a giant rose tower as if she was a real princess and forbid Adrien from seeing his most precious friend.

It was all swept away when Ladybug saved the day and Adrien couldn't help but feel lighter (if a little jealous too) as he watched all three Dupain-Chengs embrace one another.

He couldn't help but gulp and take a step back when Mr Dupain pulled away from his wife and daughter to take a step closer to him. Even though he was transformed as Chat Noir with superpowers to defend himself, Adrien was certain that Mr Dupain could snap him half without breaking a single drop of sweat.

Mr Dupain halted when he must have seen Adrien's poorly hidden apprehension and smiled guilty down at him.

"I'm sorry son," Mr Dupain rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, "for overreacting earlier."

Adrien suddenly felt ashamed all over again.

This was _Marinette's _Dad! He wasn't going to hold onto a grudge and swear vengeance and violence upon Adrien (no matter how much he deserved it for breaking Marinette's heart as Chat Noir)! He was too _nice_ like his daughter.

"Oh!" Adrien blinked. "That's okay, sir," he added hastily, "You were just trying to protect Marinette."

"No," Mr Dupain shook his head, "I don't just mean my reaction to your rejection. I mean to apologise for forcing you into that situation in the first place, making both you and Marinette uncomfortable." Marinette's cheeks flushed a deep, pretty, shade of pink and Adrien felt his own cheeks heat up rapidly as well. "I got over-excited," Mr Dupain explained, "It's just...after everything that awful Agreste boy did to my baby girl I was so hopeful that this would heal her broken heart."

And just like that, Adrien's world shattered all over again as Mr Dupain's words echoed repeatedly throughout every corner of Adrien's brains.

_That awful Agreste boy._

_That awful Agreste boy._

_That awful Agreste boy._

_That **awful Agreste** boy..._

WHAT HAD HE DONE TO DESERVE SUCH A MONKIER?!

Adrien thought he had been nothing but polite and courteous to the Dupain-Cheng family and that he was one of Marinette's _good friends_! And yet, here was Marinette's father telling him (not that Mr Dupain knew he was telling Adrien) that he was _awful! _

_What did he do?!_

He was so stunned and hurt all at once that he could barely think let alone utter a word. Marinette, however, looked utterly mortified that her father had revealed such a thing to Chat Noir which, he realised with heartbreaking comprehension, meant there was truth to what Mr Dupain had said.

Marinette thinks he is awful.

"DAD!" Marinette squawked loudly.

"_What?_!" Mr Dupain cried out defensively. "It's _true!_ That boy has done nothing but hurt you over and over again these last few months."

"Wh...wh..what did I-_Adrien Agreste_," he hastily corrected himself between stammers, "d-d-do?!"

"What _didn't _he do?" Mr Dupain fumed furiously."First he stood her up-"

"_Dad!_" Marinette protested shrilly. "That wasn't Adrien's fault! His Dad wouldn't let him come out!"

Adrien suddenly felt heavy with guilt.

It was his fault.

He had asked Ladybug out even though he had plans with his friends and lied to them when he decided to waste his evening waiting on the rooftop like a moron. He hadn't realised how much his absence would have hurt his friends. His stomach felt icy and sickly all at once as he was beginning to come to a terrible conclusion that he wasn't as good as a friend to Marinette as she was to him.

"_I don't care_!" Mr Dupain snapped. "You were giddy with excitement for two whole weeks leading up to that ice cream date and he didn't have the decency to show up or rearrange it with you. You moped about for _weeks_ about it afterwards. You were like a ghost."

Adrien flinched at the description.

He hadn't thought ice cream with his friends was important as wooing (and failing once more) Ladybug and Marinette was the one that paid the price without him even noticing. Was this why she was so upset when he showed her his romantic gesture for Ladybug? Why hadn't he comforted her like she had comforted him? Why hadn't he tried to rearrange another ice cream trip? Yeah, his schedule was busy but he had enough notice to squeeze some free time to hang with Nino and Chloe. Why couldn't he find the time for ice cream with Marinette?

Marinette looked pained at her father's accusation as she ducked down to look at her feet instead of meeting anyone's eyes. "I...it's complicated," she mumbled listlessly.

Adrien felt like he had been stabbed in the gut repeatedly at that.

He caused that.

That lifeless, pale, version of Marinette.

That was his fault.

"Then when that boy finally asks you out, he asked you out to help him with **ANOTHER **girl," Mr Dupain continue to rave crossly. "You were _devastated_. Can you imagine," he whirled round to face Adrien so quickly with such forceful fury, that Adrien unwittingly took several steps back out of fear of accidentally being punched, "Chat Noir, some other girl _better_ than my Marinette?"

No, he couldn't.

Kagami, for all of her grace, fierceness, and secret qualities, wasn't even a patch on Marinette. While the likes of Chloe and Lila can only _wish_ that they could be as good as Marinette and Adrien really didn't know any of the other girls in his class – didn't really _want_ to know them – well enough to say they were equal of Marinette's awesomeness.

Even Ladybug was only Marinette's equal rather than her superior.

"No sir," He said softly, "there's no one better than Marinette. She's amazing."

"_Dad!_" Marinette cried out. She looked overwrought with distress and guilt as she wrung her hands repeatedly. "You shouldn't judge Adrien for going out with Kagami, that's up to him. Besides I wasn't exactly dateless myself. I took Luka, remember?"

"No honey, don't you _dare _defend him!" Mr Dupain shook his head firmly. "You and I both know Luka was there for emotional support. He's a good sport like that but it doesn't magically wipe the pain away from being ignored or having _that girl _snidely whisper in your ear either."

Adrien's breath caught in his throat at that. "_What?!_ " He exclaimed, horrified. "What did Kag – _she_ say to you?!" He demanded to know.

He didn't think Kagami could be so mean to whisper snide remarks to Marinette of all people. She had a cold facade but usually she was rather nice and fair, it didn't seem like her to be _rude_ of all things.

He remembered, belatedly, Kagami helping Marinette up and the stunned look on Marinette's face as Kagami pulled out from her. Had she whispered something then? What did she say to shock, and later _hurt,_ poor Marinette?

Why hadn't he noticed earlier and acted like a friend _then?! _

"Doesn't matter," Marinette shook her head dismissively, "it wasn't anything bad really. Dad's making a big deal out of nothing."

"It was poor advice," Mrs Chang spoke up softly for the first time as she reached out and squeezed Marinette's shoulder, "for someone in your situation and how you described it made it sound nothing short of _malicious_, darling, your father is simply worried about you."

Adrien's stomach twisted in guilt and anxiety. What had Kagami said that the Dupain-Chengs found so appalling? Was she trying to sabotage Marinette for some reason? And _why?! _

"And then to top it off," Mr Dupain's voice was nearly at a shouting level of loud as his face flushed with indignation and self-righteous fury. "The boy behaved like a spineless worm."

What?

When?

He was _Chat Noir_. He always did brave and reckless – and stupid, according to Ladybug – things like leap into battle without a second thought and take an attack on behalf of his Lady, and he would do the same thing for Marinette in a heartbeat.

He wasn't spineless or a worm.

Was he?

"Can you imagine Chat Noir to go to school and find yourself isolated by one spoiled child's lies?" Mr Dupain asked. He sounded cross and sad all at once and Adrien's heart panged with sympathy and guilt as he began to realise exactly what Mr Dupain had meant. "To have none of your friends listen to you, to have your words twisted against you, and forced out of your seat by some convoluted means, and then, to top it off, to be threatened in the _bathroom _of all things."

Adrien inhaled sharply as his eyes darted back to Marinette. She hadn't told him that! _Why hadn't she told him this?!_ Threatening someone is _more than_ lying, that was something _dangerous_ and _terrifying_, he would have helped Marinette make a report to the Headmaster if she had told him that Lila had _threatened_ her.

"And the one person who knows the truth refuses to support and help you," Mr Dupain shook his head in disgust, "because he's worried the _liar _would get Akumatised."

_And that's why,_ he realised horrified._ Because I am a terrible friend and she couldn't trust me to take her side and protect her._

Marinette avoided his gaze completely as she kept them firmly fixed on the floor. Her hair had swung forth to block his view of her face but the glimpse of sickly, pale, skin and her slight trembling as she scrunched her hands up into fists suggested she was doing her level best to not cry right this very moment.

His stomach sank.

He had hurt her. He had actually, genuinely, _hurt_ her, and what was worse it had never been his intention to do so. He had hurt her by being oblivious and ignorant and continued to keep hurting her with every selfish action he made in his attempt to woo Ladybug and be a better person.

"He said lying hurts no one," Mrs Chang said stiffly as she wrapped her arms round Marinette's shoulders and held her daughter close. Her eyes flashed dangerously at that as if Adrien had said something far more insulting. "As if my daughter is _no one_."

_No!_

He hadn't meant it like that, not even for a second, how could Marinette think that he meant it like _that?_ She was _everything_ to him, second only to Ladybug on his list of important people. Plagg, and his father and mother, and Chloe and Nino all meant less to him than _Marinette_. How could she ever think he _didn't _care about her?

_Well,_ a snide voice whispered in the back of his head, _Mr Dupain had just broken it down step by step how you failed to show that you care about Marinette. _

"So you can see," Mr Dupain said much more gently, "how after all of this when I saw my baby girl so happy and in love with _you_ that I let my excitement get the better of me. Marinette deserves to be happy after such heartache and I thought someone as a brave, kind, and thoughtful as you would heal her heart."

The guilt ate at Adrien.

He wasn't brave or kind or thoughtful. He hadn't thought about Marinette's feelings when he set up the rooftop for Ladybug, he hadn't been kind when he asked Kagami out, not to Marinette, not to Kagami, and certainly not to Ladybug, and he definitely hasn't been brave about Lila either.

He wasn't the good guy that Mr Dupain thought he was.

He wasn't a hero worthy of a princess trapped in her tower.

He withered beneath Marinette's apologetic gaze as she stepped up between her father and him. "That's enough Dad," she said firmly, "Chat Noir doesn't need to know every sordid detail of my pathetic love life. He's been embarrassed enough after today."

Adrien winced and he wished he could tell her he wasn't embarrassed by her love (though that brunch had been _excruciating_) and that he was flattered and adored her though not the way she would have wanted him too, but the words failed to appear on his tongue as shame, regret, and painful guilt weighed on him heavily.

He doesn't even deserve her friendship.

"Don't let Dad guilt you into asking me out," Marinette smiled weakly, "It's okay. My heart isn't too badly dented by your rejection. It's barely a bruise." She was so wonderfully nice and it ached so much to see that soft, sweet, smile because Adrien knew if she knew Chat Noir was _him_, she wouldn't be smiling at him at all. She would hate him more than her father did. "And I'm so sorry for dragging you into this," she added anxiously, "I should have never flung myself at you like that or reacted so badly to your rejection. I got carried away and...well, I'm _sorry_."

Her sincerity stabbed at him.

She genuinely thought she had to be sorry for having feelings.

That was so _wrong_.

She shouldn't have to feel sorry at all.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," he said firmly but gently, "you're precious to me, Marinette, and..." he trailed off weakly unable to find the right words.

_I'm sorry that that's not enough for me. _

_I'm sorry that I love Ladybug. _

_I'm sorry I've been a terrible friend. _

_I'm sorry I keep breaking your heart. _

He shook his head unable to get the words out as his throat closed up from the aching pain of sorrow and guilt. He moved towards her to reach out and give some of sort of reassurance. A touch or a hug or even a kiss on her hand like he always did...but it all felt like he was leading her on and making it all so much _worse_, and instead he pulled his hand back and bowed a little stiffly.

His farewells with Mr and Mrs Dupain-Cheng were just as stiff and awkward and he fled quickly before he could make the situation worse.

His soul felt shattered to dirty gritty pieces from the shame and guilt alone. The freedom of leaping through the streets of Paris did nothing to uplift his spirits as he felt his own heart break just has painfully as he undoubtedly broke Marinette's.

His friendship with Marinette was in tatters.

It didn't matter who he was.

Adrien Agreste or Chat Noir.

With or without the mask...

He will always be the boy who broke her heart.


End file.
